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ver y year, as the festive season approaches, I star t plotting my strategy For me, this time of year is completely about what’s going on the table Chr istmas Eve, Chr istmas Day and Boxing Day all have different celebration identities, so the oppor tunities for menu planning and dr ink matching are only limited by my imag ination And budget
I like to star t with a for mal dr inks par ty on Chr istmas Eve to take advantage of all the anticipation of the next few days. A good playlist is essential, and it’s the perfect oppor tunity to tr y out some of the f antastic cocktails and delicious small plates that the guys at Sage Creative developed for us on page 134 I feel a cer tain cosmic attraction to that pitcher of mar tini with the pancetta wrapped prawns!
Chr istmas lunch will be a casual and colourful shared table with lots of florals in vases and seafood plus Italian inspired pastas, then Boxing Day will inevitably become ham and mustard sandwiches with the freshest bread and cold Champagne (or prosecco see r ight!) The beauty of these three distinct par ty identities is that the table setting also reflects each mood and I get to raid my stash of vases and naper y and play
While I’m casual about Chr istmas decorating even a tree is optional at my place this year I’m going to make my own wreath, something that feels festive but not stuffy I’m basing it on Inside Out ar t director Josie Smith’s eucalyptus wreath (page 46), which is so simple to make and so perfectly Australian That’s my kind of Chr istmas Happy festive season!
I am up gra din g my s tre et ap p e al with th e s e swe et ceramic h o us e numb ers by Mu d Aus tralia , from th e b ran d s clever collab with Vin ce Fros t Mu d Aus tralia x Vin ce Fros t s tre et numb ers from $ 8 5 e a ch ; mu daus tralia com
This absolutely excellent It alian mille simato p ros e cco ros é is a gre at f in d at a fantas tic p ar t y frien dly p rice B an dini Pros e cco Ros é D O C 2 02 1 $ 26 ; b an dinip ros e cco com
Th e s e p ap er ornam ent s fe el fre sh an d m o dern N ordic Ro oms p ap er tre e an d h e ar t , $ 1 0 e a ch ; d e signs tu ff com au
My pick for fe s tive s e as on b aub le s Eye s O n Floyd drop e arrin gs in Gre en , $ 42 9 0 ; hardto f in d com au
Inside Out acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the traditional custodians of the place we now call Sydney, where this magazine is published Inside Out also pays respects to Elder s past and present
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asked some industr y heavywieghts for their wishlists The best were from Danielle McEwan of Tigmi Trading; Genevieve Smart of Ginger & Smart; photographer Leila Jeffreys; industrial designer Adam Goodrum; Louise Olsen of Dinosaur Designs; Yasmine Saleh Ghoneim of YSG studio; AFL legend Adam Goodes; Jo Mawhinney of Living Edge; Bonnie Ashley of Bonnie And Neil; podcaster Khanh Ong; galler y owner Michael Reid OAM; and author Magdalena Roze
d o o r a n d th e s ce n e s f in a l f l o uri s h a stun n in g fe stive wreath by H o lly Ip s e n of Ip s e n B ot a n ic a Fo r d et ail s of H o lly ’s creatio n a n d th e wo rk of oth e r f l o ra l a r ti st s , turn to p a g e 4 5 Ph
Just like v isiting a s auna, cook ing with our ste a m ove ns is a he althy a nd e njoya ble ex pe r ie nce The vibrant colour we see in steamed vegetables is ev ide nce of all the se ale d in nutr ie nts A nd you c a n rela x knowing that our engineers have made using the se ove ns a pie ce of (ste a m moiste ne d) c a ke Set tings like Combi Mode automatic ally combine s
convection heating with steam to enhance the flavour a nd tex ture of me at a nd fish A nd Ba k ing Mode injects steam at just the right time to add crunch to your bre ad Plus the re’s a n adde d bonus; cle a ning is a bre eze. T hat alone should put a smile on your face So why not take a moment to explore our range of ovens at au.asko.com. You’ll be happy you did.
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Frank Green is a burgeoning reusables brand that’s gone beyond bottles, cups and homewares to launch a cuter than pie Pet Collection Stylish, customisable and made to last, the range includes pet collar s and leads in colour s you’d wear your self , plus bowls, toys and other cool things you didn’t know you or your dog needed Pr iced from $14 95 for a pet treat holder to $69 95 for a stainless steel bowl and $139 95 for a g ift set, it’s just about paw fect frankgreen.com.au
Ch ef Raff a ele Lomb ard an d his p ar tn er Vic toria Hampshire , have b ro ught a t as te of It aly to Surr y Hills with th e op enin g of B ar C onte Th e sp a ce fe ature s lush ton e s of b ot tle gre en an d re d with b ras s an d velvet tex ture s warmin g up th e b ar “ We wante d p e op le to b oth fe el an d s e e th e light wh en th ey visit Vic toria exp lains We were fo cus e d on cre atin g th e right m o o d an d atm osp h ere It s b e en de sign e d to fe el like yo u are within a livin g ro om with th e kitch en as th e b a ckdrop an d th e b ar as th e fo cus an d c arin g
h ospit alit y from o ur s t aff Th e n o d to It aly is als o ap p arent with It alian f ilm m em orabilia an d ar t fe ature d a cros s th e welcomin g walls
Sto cke d with an imp re s sive s ele c tion of verm o uth an d qualit y C amp ari (key in gre dient s of th e n e groni), th ere are 2 0 variations of th e co ck t ail on o ffer, in clu din g a N e groni B ian co M exic an N e groni an d B ar C onte’s own B arrel Ag e d N e groni
Fo o d wis e ch ef Steve D e Ve cchi (ex Ap ollo) is s er vin g up an It alian m enu of sna ck s an d small p late s de sign e d to share Th e wide ran g e of p aninis s t ar t with h om ema de fo c a ccia an d th e s ala ds are a re al tre at Bar Conte is open Monday to Saturday at 3 4 0 Riley Stre e t Surr y H ills N SW BA RCO N T E .CO M. AU
T R A H A N A S L a Spiaggia is the 10th edition from dream duo Alexandra Heard and Heleena Trahanas of Alex And Trahanas. Taking their inspo from the warm , summery hues of P uglia , the collection features hand crafted ceramics, candle holders, Italian cotton garments, pareos and designer bangles.
Bring a touch of colour to your room with the new, limited edition range of cushions from Købn. Hand woven in Turkey from hemp fibres and heavyweight linen, take your pick from a number of colour combinations featuring Persian Pink, Honey and Lime There are two sizes: 40cm x 60cm and 50cm x 50cm, both priced at $169 each
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Pop the bubbles and set plenty of places for a Christmas feast designed to share with everyone you love
’Tis the season to make it special, so feast your eyes on our festive menu with top drops to match
Whether laying down a bottle for cellaring or stocking up for festive celebrations, correct storage is vital to ensure your wine’s qualit y and longevit y.
The Vintec Single Zone Wine Cabinet is designed to keep ever y bottle in optimal conditions with the assistance of dimmed internal lighting, a triple glazed door, insulated side panels and UV protected tinted glass The sleek, compact design offers efficient storage and quickly adjustable temperature control to adapt from cellaring to drinking temperature as needed
Seafood and champagne or sparkling wine pair beautifully on the palate, making them a perfect match for an entrée
Ideal for enter taining, the Vintec Single Zone Wine Cabinet with 35 bottle capacit y keeps wine at the optimal temperature for storage or drinking. An externally housed compressor, rubber shock absorbers and vibration absorbing shelving help to ensure your precious drops stay safe and sound
Grilled Seafood, Potato and Watercress Salad with Fines Herbes Find the recipes at hn com au/recipes
B U B B L Y A N D B R I G H T
Can you peel seven potatoes in 15 seconds? The Breville® Kitchen Wizz® Peel & Dice can The new peeling and dual blade functions make shor t work of tedious tasks while the 12mm dicing attachment chops with precision for improved texture and more even cooking
Summer Potato, Baby Bean and Snap Pea Salad with Pistachio Pesto; Orange and Radish Salad with Pomegranate, Herbs and Lemon Labne Find the recipes at hn.com.au/recipes
Featuring power ful full per formance, the Breville® Kitchen Wizz® Peel & Dice easily takes on the toughest jobs, from slicing and dicing to chopping and grating, so you can prep your culinar y creations in a fraction of the time. Three chute sizes allow for safe, precise deliver y to the serrated S blade and variable slicing disc system, while the generous 3 6L bowl has your big batches covered When you’re done, a handy storage box keeps the Kitchen Wizz®, accessories and cleaning utensils neatly packed away
The crisp minerality of riesling is a vibrant match for the richness of potato based sides and zesty salads
Having ever y dish ready at once can be tricky when it’s time for the main event but the Ninja® Foodi™ XL Air Fr y Oven is like an extra pair of hands in the kitchen With a variable temperature range from 40 to 230°C and 10 different functions, it can air fr y, air roast, bake, toast, grill and cook a whole roast quickly and easily The high velocit y fan, rear heat source and Surround Air Flow deliver heat evenly for crispy per fection
C H R I S T M A S
C H E E R S
Match the main course ’ s roast chicken with chardonnay; full of flavour yet elegant enough to let the salads shine
When it comes to versatilit y, the Ninja® Foodi™ XL Air Fr y Oven lives up to its name. It heats up in just 90 seconds and offers a large 29L capacit y to prepare multiple ser vings and large dishes at the same time Ninja® True Surround Convection technology delivers quick and deliciously crispy results
Air fr yer Spatchcocks with Prosciutto, Pear and Pumpkin; Radicchio and Baby Herb Salad with Vincotto Dressing; Cucumber and Coriander Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing and Spring Onion Find the recipe at hn com au/recipes
Cooks will love this gas cooktop teamed with electric oven cavity in a sleek, all-in-one design
P A I R E D
Raise a glass to a glorious sweet glazed ham with the bright berry notes of a chilled pinot noir or gamay
With spacious capacit y and a host of functions including a smar t food probe, steam bake and pyroly tic self cleaning, the Electrolux Ultimate Multifunction Oven is a true multitasker. It even has an Air Fr y Plus feature that crisps the sur face of food for a fried taste and texture using superheated air
Find the recipe at hn com au/recipes
A practical pairing of gas cooktop and electric oven, the Electrolux Ultimate Multifunction Pyroly tic Oven is ideal for your main course masterpieces Choose from 16 functions including fan cook, grill, dough proving and steam bake for baker y st yle cakes and homemade bread Precise temperature control and monitoring ensure optimal cooking for all your dishes while the sleek digital inter face gives you control at the touch of a finger Clean up is also a breeze with high temperature pyroly tic self cleaning no chemicals required
P E R F E C T L Y Bourbon, Mustard and Maple glazed Ham; Roast Hasselback Potatoes with Thyme and Vinegar Salt; Apple, Fennel and Frisée Salad with Smoky Candied Pecans and Buttermilk DressingThe Tefal® Cook4me touch multicooker takes convenience and versatilit y to the next level with an easy touchscreen inter face, recipe inspiration and multi function settings from baking to braising in minutes with step by step instructions, images and video tips In built wi fi connectivity allows automatic downloading and updating of recipes from Tefal® and the Cook4me community, and you can connect with the app to monitor cooking remotely Even cleaning up is easy with a dishwasher safe cooking bowl
R I C H A N D
R O B U S T
Pair the sweet, aromatic spice of a Pedro Ximénez sherry with rich puddings and fruit cakes for an indulgent finish
With the Tefal® Cook4me touch multicooker you can monitor the progress of your pudding remotely via the Tefal app* while you’re doing other things Prepare healthy, filling midweek family meals from 250 easy built in recipes and activate express mode for dishes in under 10 minutes.
*Download required on a compatible device
Whisky Ginger Christmas Pudding with Salted Maple Butter and Ginger Custard Find the recipe at hn com au/recipes
When there’s pressure to perform, this multicooker has a range of solutions at your fingertips with amazing results in mere minutes
Desserts pair perfectly with dessert wines or mistelles with notes of jasmine, orange marmalade and honeycomb
The st ylish De’Longhi Eletta Explore’s intuitive colour touchscreen features up to 42 customisable recipes, and the LatteCrema Cool Milk Carafe is per fect for iced coffees Time for tea? Simply tap for hot water on demand, with the Eletta Explore’s hot water spout attachment
Wrap up your festive feast with desser t and barista qualit y coffee From lattes to macchiatos, De’Longhi has you covered with the Eletta Explore Automatic Coffee Machine, featuring advanced thermoblock technology that allows for customisable water temperature. Choose from 13 adjustable grinding settings and the clever LatteCrema micro foam technology to create velvet y smooth crema for per fect cappuccinos, whipping up ever ybody ’s favourite at the tap of a finger like the superstar host you are
Working from home cer tainly has its mer its, but it can also come with distractions, especially if you ’ re a mum to three little boys! And it was with this in mind that still life ar tist Whitney Spicer went in search of a dedicated space to paint away from her own backyard
“I’m lucky to have an ar t studio at home, but I wanted the oppor tunity to ‘ go to work’ as well,” she says “I definitely felt like I would be more productive if I removed the daily distractions of home with no clothes to be washed, no toy room to be cleaned and no unifor ms to be ironed ”
She didn’t have to look f ar for the perfect spot Whitney and her husband Tim live just outside the NSW central west town of Manildra with their sons Finley, Teddy and Darby, all under 10, and there just happened to be a vacant shop on the main street waiting for someone to breathe new life into it As well as
setting up her studio, Whitney decided to add some homewares to fill an unmet gap “In Manildra, we have all the necessities on our door step a chemist, a doctor, a post office, cor ner store and butcher and I thought, wouldn’t it be nice to have something more? Now the locals can get bread and milk and sausages for dinner, and also pick up a new candle, cushion or tablecloth without having to dr ive 30 minutes to another town ” Whitney called on her neighbour, Hugh Kanaar, to help make the main display table, French door s and shelves, and then she and Tim put the finishing touches on the store She filled it with a tasteful curation of beautiful things, from The Clay Society ceramics in ear thy tones and textures to one off vintage kilim cushions from Turkey and precious wooden toys by QToys “Ever ything in my store is something I would have in my own home,” says Whitney “But I’ve resisted taking anything home so f ar that takes a lot of willpower!”
The a r t ist ’ s new st ud io a nd st ore i n N SW prov ides a stimu lating place for her to pa int a nd a me a n i ng f u l ser v ic e t o her sma l l t ow n c om mu n it y
Whitney Spicer Home opened mid September, and the painter’s fir st venture into retail is already proving popular with locals and visitor s to the town “It feels ver y special to have the open studio where I can paint while people walk around the store,” says Whitney, who paints ever ything from captivating still lifes to places she visits “I love being able to develop a collection, hang ing them as I go, and hear ing feedback I encourage ever yone to pop in often as I’m constantly chang ing things around
“Just the other day a local lady came into the store, looked me straight in the eye and thanked me for doing this for Manildra,” she adds “It felt scar y committing myself to this space and all of this stock, but when I hear that people tr uly appreciate it, that makes me so happy ”
Whitney Spicer Home is at Shop 1/73 Kiewa Street, Manildra. It’s open most Fr idays and Saturdays or by appointment Chec k out some of Whitney’s cur rent ar tworks at whitneyspicer com or @whitneyspicer
“ I ’ m so chu ffe d that one of tho se shop s on the ma i n st re et isn’t empt y a ny more i nst e ad it ’ s f u l l of b e aut i f u l th i ng s ”
W H I T N E Y S P I C E R
“I have coveted this iconic ‘Bat lamp’ by Gae Aulenti for year s It’s a tr ue classic and I’m desperate to br ing a Medium Chocolate Brown one home ” Pipis trello t a b l e l a m p, $ 5 5 0 0 Tigmi Tra din g
“These are the best sunglasses I’ve owned They’re made from recycled ocean plastics and I’d love to get them in a new colour maybe kelp ” Cle an Wave s s u n g l a s s e s , $ 3 9 5 , Tigmi Tra din g
“A fr iend of mine for many year s, Anthony Ong has such a beautiful eye for captur ing his intuition This ser ies of his is beautifully emotive, so it’s hard to pick a f avour ite ” M o nday N ig ht s 1 fram e d a r t p ri nt from $ 2 0 9 0 availab le thro ugh Tigmi Tra din g
Need some direction this yea r? Be inspired by the top treats on the w ishlists of 1 2 people we love
“Chr istian Bonett is an ar tist I really like His paintings are beautiful, but I’m also deeply in love with his quirky ceramics ” Australia (N ot So) Sq uare s c u l ptu re by Chris tian B on et t
“Kar in, the owner of my f avour ite homewares shop, The DEA Store, has a keen eye for talent and I would love a work from any of the creatives or maker s that she profiles ”
Toru Hat t a ‘ Kohiki Maru b owl $9 5 Th e D E A Store
“Feathered Fr iends sells beautiful native plants for the garden, which will attract birds to your home and help with the conser vation message of protecting our wildlife ” Black Co ckato o Cons er vation 4 Hiko s e e dlin gs p l a nt p a c k Fe ath ere d Frien ds
“Ber tjan Pot rope masks
I would love to fill a wall with them for a bit of colourful festive spir it ” b e r tj a n p ot . n l
“A Dark Ar ts carbon fibre surfboard because it’s super light and strong for summer fun ”
“A full set of locally made Elph ceramics our mismatch of crocker y is shocking ” Grey Sp e ckle d i n n e r b owl, $9 5 Elp h C eramic s
L e i l a J e f f r ey s A R T I S T A N D P H OTO G R A P H E R
a m G o o d r u m I N D U S T R I A L D E S I G N E R
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“Wearable works of ar t are my cur rent obsession I’d love a detachable collar by Italian f ashion brand Vivetta I’m coveting one that subtly incor porates a hand motif with the finger s gently clasped around the neck You have to look twice to notice them ”
H a n d co l l a r with cr ys t als , $ 2 92 * , Vivet t a
“Top of my list is a 1960s Flintstones wall sconce by Danish company Sky Light that I’ve seen on 1st Dibs
The show’s stone age elements fused with moder n innovations were pure genius How could you not g r in ear to ear when you switch this on?”
Vint a g e Flins to n e s Fo otm o b il e wa l l s co n c e by Sk y Light , $9 1 5 1s t D ibs
m i n e S a l e h G h o n i e m D I R E C TO R , Y S G S T U D I O
be stoked with one of Polina Miliou’s chair s, but a par ty set of mismatched designs around my dining table will fully rekindle my f aith in Santa! Polina scouts flea markets for discarded folk fur niture, layer ing the pieces with pigmented paper pulp so they transfor m into bulbous crafty creations ”
p o l i n a m i l i o u
“Each year, a new unique label is chosen to wrap up the Four Pillars Chr istmas Gin, to evoke that same festive spir it This year, it’s the work of ar tist Jane Reynolds, who’s provided an abstract ver sion of a Chr istmas tree scene. ” 2 02 2 Chris tmas g i n $ 1 0 5 for 70 0 ml Fo ur Pillars
“I’ve been a massive f an boy of Le Creuset for as long as I can remember This new colourway is absolutely gorgeous the perfect g ift for anyone who loves to cook ” Le Creus et Signature oval c a s s e ro l e d i s h in C ayenn e $ 69 0 Peter s O f Kensin gton
“What I love about this necklace is that a por tion of the sales goes to ovar ian cancer research A super classic piece, it’s a beautiful, feel good g ift ”
O CRF H e ar t n e c kl a ce $ 119 5 G e org J ens en
“I’m obsessed with No7, especially the booster ser um Anything in that range would be a dream to receive for Chr istmas they are so affordable and do a really g reat job ” N o7 L ab oratorie s lin e corre c tin g b o o ste r s e ru m, $ 6 1 9 9 Pricelin e
“Er ic was shot near Mur r ur undi, where I live Graceful and dignified creatures they may be, but en masse they do g reat damage to the environment This Imper ial is now hang ing in a fr iend’s librar y in Sydney I would love to acquire one just like it ” Eric Th e Re d t axi d e rm i e d d e e r P OA
“Yeti is an amazing brand, and this cooler tr uly does last the distance Ice stays ice in it for days ” Tun dra 2 1 0 co o l e r $ 12 0 0 Yeti
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D I R E C TO R , M I C H A E L R E I D G A L L E R I E S
“I’m cur rently coveting food ar t to complement my cookbook shelves. Some of the ar tists on my radar are Emma Gale, Libby Haines and Nadja Kabr iel ” M us se ls + M are t ti fi n e a r t p ri nt from $ 5 5 for A4 Lib by Hain e s
“I’m obsessed with these beautiful glasses they’re just so fun!”
Pomp on et te C h a m p a g n e coup e s $ 119 for t wo Mais on B alzac
“I love the simplicity of these handmade pieces and the calming, subdued colour s, which will make my coastal kitchen sing!” Flare d d i n n e r p l ate s $ 6 5 e a ch Mu d Aus tralia
M a g d a l e n a Ro z e AU T H O R & P R E S E N T E R
For Sydney floral ar tist Holly Ipsen, tr ue style comes from close consideration of the occasion she’s ar rang ing for “I focus more on the feeling the client is tr ying to por tray, whether that’s for an intimate dinner at their home or celebrating an occasion, or something like a moder n industr ial event in a warehouse,” she says. “The fun thing about this job is that it’s ever chang ing and you don’t have to stick to a cer tain aesthetic you get to create ”
For her Chr istmas wreath, Holly came up with a design that complements the under stated character of the beachside proper ty it’s in. “It’s a festive time of year and I really wanted to create some interest as guests walk through the door,” she says “This isn’t a traditional wreath; the plants are inspired by the coast For me, summer is about making the most of the sun, being by the water and chilling out that is such a reflection of our Australian culture ”
Holly avoided classic Chr istmas pine altogether “We str ipped it r ight back to an undone and relaxed take on a wreath that feels contemporar y, ” she explains. “We kept the colour palette neutral and focused more on the plant textures and on layer ing g reener y ” Plant wise, she opted for a combination of twisted monkey vine, g reen moss, dr iftwood, white phalaenopsis orchids, agave and heat fr iendly succulents mistletoe cactus and hang ing rhipsalis “The orchids have longevity, which we all love, and succulents cope well with the heat and are pretty low maintenance ” A wreath like this will br ing gorgeous fresh g reens to a room and should last a little while.
ipsenbotanica com
A love for nature led Steph Chalupka to make a move from inter ior design into the world of flor istr y “I g rew up on a f ar m, ” she says, “ so I’ve always been in touch with g rowing things and being sur rounded by nature Flor istr y is the perfect medium for my creative expression, where I can use my hands and be in nature by forag ing It’s fun and you can often find something unique ”
In 2020, Steph and her husband, Szymon, started Aster + Wilde in Victor ia’s Camberwell, before relocating to the Sunshine Coast earlier this year The move to tropical Queensland sparked new inspiration for the couple, which is reflected in the wreath they’ve created for our Yaroomba home “I’m inspired by new places and by things that are not as available in Victor ia,” Steph explains “I’m also inspired by what’s in season ”
The couple’s wreath teams notes of Chr istmas festivity with moder n, tropical florals in a tranquil yet chic creation “It features a lot of tropical foliage and leaves,” notes Steph “I’ve included tur tle leaves, tractor seat leaves and anthur iums all really beautiful plants that love the humidity We used a lot of the r icher g reens, along with other shades of g reen and burgundy that naturally come up in canopies here So again, it’s about working with what’s around us ”
Interestingly, the wreath’s shape is influenced by the florals themselves, resulting in an organic yet str uctural design in line with the luscious tropical garden feel “I love colour and lots of movement,” Steph adds “We tr y to let the natural shape of the stems, and however they might g row, be par t of the design ” asterandwilde com au
“All ar tworks should tell a stor y, ” says designer Jo Neville of Paper Couture, a bespoke paper decor and display specialist “Site specific consideration, in this case the flora, g ives ar twork substance; it tells a whole lot about the maker and, in doing so, reveals the stor y behind it.”
Jo’s star ting point for her paper based Chr istmas wreath was local to her studio near Nor th Head in Sydney “I drew inspiration from the mater ials g rowing in the national park,” she says. “In spr ing, my wreath’s Banksia ser rata and flannel flower s g row there in abundance ”
Covid 19 taught Jo to be resourceful in her craft Dur ing that time, she utilised mater ials found around the house to make her ar t and used natural dyes. “Not all creative projects made from domestic r ubbish should look like they have been,” she says “With some basic skills and consideration and a few other good quality mater ials mixed in we can all make beautiful, sophisticated objects from sustainable mater ials ” For this wreath, Jo made the banksia from brown paper shopping bags To for m the leaves and flannel flower s, she opted for watercolour paper (a cotton based product) and natural vine, which g ives the design its organic shape
Jo often adopts methods that appear to go against the frag ile perception of paper In this case, she used a soaking technique that helped her mould the flannel flower s “Paper has a contradictor y quality; it is both frag ile and strong, ephemeral and long lasting,” she says “I love nothing more than the challenge of chang ing a pr istine sheet of paper into something of dimension, to gesture the mater ial to create an inter pretive for m of something natural rather than simply mimic it ” papercouture net au
Inside Out ar t director Josie Smith has a sideline in flower ar rang ing and was a natural choice for this stor y She chose a mix of dr ied flower s for her wreaths “Having made many in the past, I have come to love working with dr ied flower s because you know they are hardy and will last until Chr istmas,” she explains “I love fresh flower s too, but g iven the har shness of an Australian summer, dr ied florals are better suited to braving the elements and maintaining their shape and colour ”
Josie opted for a local take on the traditional Chr istmas theme “Orange and g reen feels festive and Australian without being the conventional red and g reen that we associate with this time of year I chose bur nt orange hydrangeas, which I have worked with before, and was also excited to find the g reen var iety that goes so well with the boldness of the orange ”
Along with the hydrangeas, Josie included dr ied everlasting daisies and poppy pods The only fresh element is the eucalyptus, which dr ied well and added a nice scent. “Everlasting daisies g ive some whimsy, especially against the solid roundness of the hydrangeas, and it’s lovely to have the wildness of their for m, ” she says “Tiny poppy pods can also be found in the main wreath their size adds some interest and the natural tone complements the boldness of the other mater ials ”
Being an ar t director, Josie is super comfor table with colour “I always lean into colour when working with flower s, ” she affir ms. “When I look back on other wreaths I have done, colour is usually at the hear t of the design And I would love to think that my aesthetic is contemporar y Australian We are lucky to have extraordinar y florals available to us here, and I find them so inspir ing and so beautifully f amiliar.” @smith botanic
Australian natives star in the Chr istmas wreath crafted by Bess Scott, a flor ist based in Sydney’s Paddington “We are so lucky to have the most amazing flora here, from hardy str uctural native flower s to delicate wildflower s. We have beautiful woody colour s, lush g reens, and a huge range of vibrant and pastel colour s to choose from Lots of Australian native flower s are also hardy and easy to dr y perfect for wreaths ”
In her design, Bess went for a sur pr ise element in the for m of sea sponges, along with three types of paper daisies, eucalyptus, wattle, r ice flower, Phylica, bird’s nest banksia, mulla mulla and dr yandra “There are so many beautiful paper daisies that flower in spr ing,” she notes. “We use these fresh in the store at that time and dr y some out to use all year round When they dr y, they hold their vibrant colour s, so they are a g reat dr y flower option for Chr istmas ”
Bess looked for traditional festive colour s, and those that evoke the Australian summer “We used bur nt red banksia and soft g reen eucalyptus blended with ear thy browns, oranges and pinks,” she points out “It is special and unique that many of us spend the hot festive season by the ocean The washed out war m colour s of the wreath and the addition of the sea sponge reminds me of swimming in the ocean and bush walking along the coast of the Royal National Park
“I love unexpected combinations,” she sums up “I also love to sur pr ise customer s with elements they haven’t seen before, or use ing redients in an unusual way In this wreath, we mixed the sculptural with some softer elements ” besspaddington.com
m i t t h r e e (3) e n t r i e s p e r m t t e d p e r p e r s o n e a c h d ay S a r t s 2 5 /10 / 2 2 a t 12: 01 a m A EDT & e n d s 31/ 01/ 2 3 a t 11:5 9 p m A EDT M a o r D r aw w i l b e c o n d u c t e d a t S 2 2 2 117 O d Pi t t w a t e r R d B r o o k va l e N SW 2101 a t 12 n o o n A EDT o n 0 6 / 0 2 / 2 3 T h e f i r s t e l g b l e e n t r a n t w i t h a va i d e n t r y d r aw n n t h e M a j o r D r aw w l w n h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o p ay t h e G a m e f o r t h e c h a n c e t o w n $ 2 5 0 0 0 0 Tr ave t o / f r o m g a m e p r ov d e d t o w i n n e r a n d g u e s t (va u e d a t u p t o AU D $ 2 5 0 0) i f g a m e s n o t p aye d v i r t u a l l y G a m e c o n s s t s o 2 0 e nve o p e s 2 w i t h a w i n n n g s y m b o l: f 2 x w i n n n g s y m b o e nve o p e s s e l e c t e d w n $ 2 5 0 0 0 0 f 1 x w i n n n g s y m b o a n d 1 x n o n w i n n n g s y m b o e nve o p e i s s e l e c t e d w n $10 0 0 0 ; a n d f 2 x n o n w i n n i n g s y m b o e nve o p e s s e e c t e d w n $ 5 0 0 0 Pr ze aw a r d e d n w n n e r s c u r r e n c y o f r e s i d e n c e (e i t h e r AU D o r N Z D) W n n e r p u b i s h e d a t M a g s h o p c o m a u /C o m p e t t i o n o n 10 / 0 2 / 2 3 A r e M e d i a P t y L m i t e d A B N 18 0 5 3 2 7 3 5 4 6 5 4 Pa r k S t r e e t S yd n ey N SW 2 0 0 0 S e e M a g s h o p c o m a u / W I N 2 5 0 K f o r Te r m s a n d C o n d i t i o n s AC T Pe r m i t N o T P 2 2 / 01412 N SW Au t h o r t y N o T P/ 0 0 018 a n d S A Pe r m t N o T 2 2 /1141 B y n c l u d n g yo u r e m a i a d d r e s s , Inside Out w i l ke e p yo u n o r m e d o f o f f e r s a n d u p d a t e s f r o m o u r p u b l s h e r, A r e M e d i a P t y L i m i t e d , a n d s p e c a l l y s e e c t e d p a r t n e r s P e a s e t i c k i f yo u d p r e f e r t o n o t r e c e i ve o f e r s a n d u p d a t e s f r o m A r e M e d a P t y L m i t e d O u r s p e c i a y s e l e c t e d p a r t n e r s O u r Pr i va c y Po l i c y c a n b e f o u n d a t a r e m e d a c o m a u / p r i va c y a n d n c u d e s i m p o r t a n n f o r m a t o n a b o u o u r c o l e c t o n , u s e a n d d s c o s u r e o f yo u r p e r s o n a l n o r m a t i o n (i n c l u d i n g t h e p r ov s i o n o f t a r g e t e d a d ve r t i s n g b a s e d o n yo u r o n i n e a c v t e s) I t ex p a i n s t h a t f yo u d o n o t p r ov d e u s w t h n f o r m a t o n we h ave r e q u e s t e d f r o m yo u , we m ay n o b e a b e to p r ov d e yo u w i t h t h e g o o d s a n d s e r v i c e s yo u r e q u r e I t a s o ex p a i n s h o w yo u c a n a c c e s s o r s e e k c o r r e c t o n o f yo u r p e r s o n a l i n f o r m a t i o n , h o w yo u c a n c o m p l a n a b o u t a b r e a c h o f t h e Au s r a l a n Pr i va c y Pr n c i p l e s a n d h o w we w i d e a l w t h a c o m p l a n t o f t h a n a t u r e * R a t e s m ay b e s u b j e c t t o a u t o r e n ew a , a f t e r t h e i n t a t e r m t h e s u b s c r i p o n w l a u t o r e n ew u n e s s c a n c e l e d C a n c e l a a ny t i m e
Subtle re d t one s t u r n up the he at Building company owner Beau Small wanted to add war mth to his Queensland kitchen using colour s that were reflective of Australian hardwoods To that end, he chose Oiled Legno laminate by Laminex for the rear cabinetr y and island ends, then added more timber tones in the accessor ies to finish Turn the page for more details.
WORDS DEBORAH GRANT PHOTOGRAPHY CATHY SCHUSLER STYLING HAYLEY JENKIN
Who lives here Beau Small, manager director of Cooper Small; his wife Prue a beauty therapist; and their children: Emerson, 12; Alexander, 10; and Grace, eight; plus spoodle Bonnie Style of home A new four bedroom beach house
Location Yaroomba, at the base of Mount Coolum, traditional land of the Kabi Kabi people Beau and Prue started building in March 2021 and finished that year
Total cost of the project was approximately $1 2m $ $ $ $
fter building an amazing house on 16 hectares in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, Beau Small imag ined he and his f amily would stay put for a few year s But then came Covid 19, a buoyant proper ty market and an itch to do another project “As a builder, I have a creative nature and a dr ive to keep building and offer ing something to the market,” he explains
When Beau heard about land being offered on a new estate close to the beach near Coolum, he and wife Pr ue jumped at the chance “Land this close to the beach is always in hot demand,” he explains There was just one problem Well, make that three The block was 600 square metres and south f acing Then there was the not so small matter of their three children, who were loving their new life in the countr y “We had a creek r unning through the proper ty, some hor ses and a pretty good lifestyle there, to be frank,” he admits “But Pr ue and I both saw the value of this site and the f act that it would enable us to be pretty much mor tgage free and live by the beach, which was also f airly attractive ”
So, Beau set out to prove that downsizing to the beach could be just as good, if not better, than living on acreage The key to that was designing a house that not only suited the way his f amily wanted to live, but also worked with the less than perfect or ientation Having come up with the concept design for his for mer home, Beau felt comfor table doing the same for his new place “Before I bought the block, I sketched out the rough
layout of the house and how I wanted it to work in ter ms of having space outside and getting the light to pour in,” he says “I then worked with architect Damian Goode from Hive Architecture, who brought my or ig inal concept to life and gave me the confidence to move forward ”
In order to let nor th easter n light flood into the home, the double storey, L shaped house was positioned along the wester n side of the block (with minimal glazing on the wester n side to protect the house from the har sh Queensland sun) The easter n half of the block was g iven over to an outdoor living area, lawn and pool “Quite often, people build to the extremities of a block, but we wanted the luxur y of having some outdoor space, ” explains Beau The literal hear t of the home is the kitchen and dining area, which opens to a lawn flanked by the pool on one side and an alfresco zone on the other “I thought a lot about how we would use the space and that’s why these areas were designed to connect as they do Pr ue and I wanted to create a pr ivate area where we could really enjoy our outside space and it’s worked out even better than we expected because we are always out there ”
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T H E C U RV E D S TA I R C A S E WA S N ’ T T H E M O S T C O S T E F F E C T I V E U S E O F S PAC E B U T H AV I N G S O M E T H I N G A E S T H E T I C A L LY P L E A S I N G A S W E L L A S F U N C T I O N A L B R I N G S S O M U C H T O T H AT A R E A”
B E AU S M A L L , OW N E R / B U I L D E R
The orientation of a home is so often overlooked But considering the aspect and creating an environment that is comfortable and uplifting to be in is such a benefit that it’s worth taking your time to get the design right It makes such a difference to the enjoyment of a space
The home’s second floor which has four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a second living room is reached by a cur ved staircase that adds a str iking architectural detail to the dining area below “It wasn’t the most cost effective use of space, ” Beau admits, “but having something that is aesthetically pleasing as well as functional br ings so much to that area ”
As for the look of the inter ior s, Beau wanted a calming coastal vibe with luxe touches He chose natural but durable mater ials, such as concrete, stone and timber, to add war mth and texture The beautiful Cr ystallo stone, which has been used on the kitchen island bench and backsplash as well as the bathroom vanities, was one of his initial selections and dictated some of the other inter ior choices
The f amily moved into the new house just before the star t of the summer holidays in 2021 and love their new life by the beach, even if it’s now on a much smaller footpr int “We did have to coerce the kids a little when we told them we were going to sell the acreage and move here, but now they all say they’re glad we did,” says their dad “It really feels like we ’ re on holidays, to be honest We feel pretty blessed to live here ”
Having said that, it seems the itch to continually build and create something new is never f ar away Beau has just bought another block of land even closer to the beach and is already working on the concept for that house “But we’ll have to see what happens because it will be really tough to leave this house It’s such a g reat f amily home ” Cooper Small is at coopersmall com au and @cooper small Hive Arc hitecture is at hivearc hitecture com au and @hive arc hitecture
“Orientation
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E WA N T E D T H AT S E R E N E F E E L I N G O F B E I N G O N
L I DAY S O F A F T E R N O O N N A P S A N D S U M M E R N I G H T S I N A H O M E W E C A N A L L R E L A X
This home has a number of sustainable elements, including optimal orientation polished concrete floors for thermal mass, and a passive solar design with ver y little need for active heating and cooling
A Sydney couple decided to break the mould and build a home that would stand out from the crowd while paying homage to its surroundings
Who lives here Brianna Simmons and Taf Lewis with their stray cat Sharky and two labradors, Sunny and Cooly Style of home A four bedroom new build on one level with a focus on clean lines Location The outer Sydney suburb of North Richmond, which is the traditional land of the Darug and Darkinjung people Brianna and Taf bought the property in 2015 and commenced building in 2020 They completed the project in 2021
well positioned corner block with views of the mountains, a deceptively generous floor plan or iented to outside living, and a passionate, forward thinking couple embarking on their fir st build together
If you ’ re looking for the secret for mula to a successful new home build, then this moder n f ar mhouse called Three Gables is not f ar off it
Builder Taf Lewis and his speech patholog ist fiancée Br ianna Simmons purchased the 803 square metre block in the picturesque Hawkesbur y reg ion on the outskir ts of Sydney seven year s ago The f ar mhouse they’ve built on it pays homage to the area and its histor y in myr iad ways, star ting with the f acade’s tr io of black and white gables “The gables reference your classic countr y bar n str ucture,” Br ianna explains “The white cladding is just typical of the weatherboard homes in this area, while the black char red cladding is a nod to the bushfires that are par t and parcel of life on the land ”
Recycled br icks used in the garden planter s, retaining walls and cur ved cour tyard wall are another nod to the old cottages and wells of the area One special br ick, found in the local br ick pit office, bear s the name of Enfield, as Nor th Richmond was known in the early days of European settlement “We both g rew up in this area and are ver y sentimental, so we included lots of little ‘notes’ to its histor y wherever we could,” says Br ianna
The dramatic and engag ing exter ior is even more impressive g iven the str ict design guidelines that came with building within a new r ural residential estate “I’d say 80 per cent of the houses here look the same, ” says Taf “But we wanted to do something different, something not standard or r un of the mill Thanks to my building backg round and Br ianna’s ability to think outside the square, we ’ re super proud of what we ’ ve achieved ”
“ We love the way the curved Venetian plaster walls turned out it’s certainly been a talking point”
BRIANNA SIMMONS, HOMEOWNER
This home was orientated with temperature regulation in mind The main living areas benefit from natural light and have SmartGlass and blockout blinds on the north facing windows Solar panels on the roof keep energy bills down
The wow moments continue inside, where an intuitive floor plan and minimalist inter ior awaits “The house itself isn’t huge, but feels it,” says Taf , crediting the high gable ceilings, wide hallways, easy flow of the layout and abundant natural light for the masterful illusion While the bathroom, laundr y and three of the four bedrooms are tucked up the back, the open plan kitchen, living and dining area the hub of the home takes up pr ime real estate overlooking the landscaped gardens and outdoor living zones Skylights and floor to ceiling windows flood this space with sunshine mor ning and after noon, making it a joyful spot to star t and end each day
Br ianna and Taf have taken a light on approach to the decor, instead creating style moments with the mater ials In the kitchen, a sleek concrete island acts as a sculptural showpiece, and a cur ved pantr y wall adds to the flow of the floor plan Heavy linen sheer cur tains br ing softness and drama to the white walls and black framed windows, and are motor ised to open fir st thing in the mor ning A bank of joiner y is painted the same colour as the walls to blend quietly into the backg round “There’s that saying: tidy house, tidy mind,” says Br ianna “We’re both ver y busy people, so we want to come home and feel calm and not stressed Nothing is overly extravagant or elaborate here; it’s all ver y minimal with ever ything integ rated to cut down on clutter ”
Outside, they’ve created a number of user fr iendly spaces that step down gently with the f all of the land A pr ivate cour tyard accessed via glass sliding door s from the living room is a spot for quiet contemplation, encapsulated by a cur ved br ick wall Then there’s the covered alfresco area leading from the kitchen dining space, with its lounge area and bar seating for guests to sit and enjoy a dr ink while dinner cooks on the barbecue Just below that is the fire pit, where you’ll find Taf and Br ianna most weekends, relaxing with a dr ink or taking photos of the sunset over the mountains “Our new thing is tr ying to make s ’mores!” laughs Taf
The pair admit they were “ ver y controlling” when it came to the design, but they did rely on a few tr usted professionals to help br ing their vision to life namely their architect, Br uce Fyffe, inter ior designer Kate Lawrence, and garden exper t Studio 315 Landscape Design In saying that, much of the work is their own, with countless lockdown weekends spent on the build, albeit with a few arguments along the way “We were butting heads at the star t as to who was going to take the lead, and I kept treating Bree like an apprentice, forgetting what she was capable of , ” Taf recalls, while Br ianna concedes, “Taffy is used to building for a client, and they don’t talk back to him as much as I do!”
But now the dust has settled and they’ve spent two glor ious year s reaping the rewards of their hard work, the couple are getting ready to hand Three Gables over to a new owner so they can sink their teeth into a new project this time in the NSW Central Coast town of Long Jetty. “We have such g reat memor ies of building this house that we love so much, and we feel so lucky to be able to do it again,” says Br ianna If Three Gables is anything to go by, we can’t wait to see what they do next See more of this house and Taf and Br ianna’s future projects @three gables Kate Lawrence Inter iors is at katelawrenceinter iors com au Studio 315 Landscape Design is @studio315landscapedesign
“ Our landscaper really nailed the brief The house stands out but the gardens make it look like it belongs” BRIANNA
With me being a builder, ever y thing was ver y structured and ver y planned But there were a few decisions made in the moment which have really paid off We came up with the cur ved brick wall in answer to the courtyard being quite open and exposed It was such a snap decision but turned out so well When you know, you know
“ ORGANISATION IS IMPORTANT BUT LEAVE ROOM FOR SPONTANEITY”
Wa nting better a nd not big ger, the ow ners of this centu r y old Queensla nder a re delighted w ith their st ylish a nd susta inable version of the orig ina l
fter living in a tiny one bedroom apar tment dur ing an 18 month work secondment in New York, more space was high on the agenda for Louise and Andrew Newman when they retur ned to Br isbane in 2006 and star ted house hunting But while they wanted plenty of bedrooms and a backyard, they weren’t keen on being in the suburbs to achieve it “In Manhattan, you can walk ever ywhere, so we didn’t want to need the car for accessing shops and restaurants,” explains Louise
The couple also hankered for an area with her itage houses, and finally found what they were looking for in the hilly suburb of Paddington They snapped up a 1920s Queenslander and, later, when their two daughter s joined the f amily, enclosed the lower level to add a laundr y and playroom
Upstair s, the house had a traditional layout with three bedrooms in a straight line on the wester n side, and the living, dining and kitchen spaces on the other That configuration worked well when their daughter s were younger, but as they got older, the bedrooms opening directly onto the living spaces became more problematic “I’d get comments like, ‘Mummy, who won MasterChef last night?’ because they’d been peer ing around their bedroom door s watching TV while they were supposed to be sleeping,” Louise recalls with a smile
Throw in the f act that the g irls’ bedrooms also cooked in the Br isbane summer (“If you accidentally left the blind open, you couldn’t walk on the floor because it was so hot,” says Louise) and it was clear the house wasn’t working for them anymore Louise and Andrew looked around for somewhere else, but couldn’t find anything they loved as much as their own house
In keeping with the home’s modest footprint architect Matt Kennedy built a number of sustainable elements into its redesign, including solar roof panels ply kitchen joiner y and louvre windows
and its convenient location so they asked an architect for advice on what could be done to improve the layout The only catch: on such a tight block, they were reluctant to lose any of their precious rear garden “Essentially, we wanted a better layout that would g ive us space to g row, but not a McMansion that would take up the whole block,” says Louise
Enter local architect Matt Kennedy of Arcke He relished the oppor tunity to keep the house’s modest footpr int and tur n it into a sustainable home that would work harder for the f amily in Br isbane’s often har sh climate “Louise and Andrew were adamant they didn’t want to lose the sense of g reener y and open space by building a big extension that would be detr imental to the quality of their outdoor living,” he says “We talked a lot about being respectful to the previous renovation and not having to reinvent the house from scratch From a sustainability point of view, one of the best things you can do is build less ”
Matt’s plan was to create a floor for the couple’s daughter s downstair s, with two bedrooms and a playroom alongside a f amily bathroom and laundr y Upstair s, the couple’s bedroom now has an ensuite, which sits beside a separate living room, study nook and spacious kitchen/dining area The standout of the design is a central g reen cour tyard on the lower level that is visible from the upper floor and br ings both light and a sense of the outdoor s into the home. Louise says it’s one of her
f avour ite features “The cour tyard isn’t exactly an addition as we had to take a bit of the house away to create it But it g ives us the most beautiful light at the back and allows the breeze to come through while also making us feel more connected with the downstair s level when we ’ re up here ”
While the Newmans were intent on keeping the inter ior design sympathetic to the her itage features of the house, they also wanted to freshen it up with simple, clean lines and were happy to defer to Matt for his inter ior design skills “I’m glad we had him on board to suggest things we would never have considered otherwise,” says Louise “I’m an accountant and just don’t have that creative brain Also, I was a bit hesitant about the ply kitchen at fir st, but now I really love it The texture br ings such war mth to the space ”
She and Andrew love their revamped home (“It just works so well for us”) and plan to stay put until the g irls have finished high school, at the ver y least Although, there is one thing that could make them sell up sooner than that “Andrew might get another job in New York, in which case we’d be off in a flash,” says Louise with a laugh Arc ke Arc hitecture & Inter ior Design is at arc ke com au and matt arc ke
E N S U I T E (b elow lef t ) With it s t wo entran ce s th e ensuite fe aturin g m ore C eramic a Vo gue tile s to tie in with th e kitch en a wall m o unte d b asin by D uravit an d cus tom shavin g c abin et s ma de by Juro D e sign c an als o b e us e d as a p owder ro om I rem emb er s ayin g ver y e arly on that I didn t want to b e cle anin g fo ur toilet s s ays Lo uis e R U M P U S (b elow right ) A con crete p linth forms a lovely sp ot to sit on in th e kids p lay sp a ce b ut Lo uis e s ays it has an oth er us e At th e m om ent , it s a Le go b en ch an d has b e en sin ce we m ove d in , sh e laughs Cushions CLO Stu dios B E D R O O M (op p osite) Th e main b e dro om fe ature s VJ wall panelling which is a key component of the Queenslander st yle Linen CLO Studios Gladom tray table Ikea Margot desk lamp Trit House Ar t work by Lucy Knox
There were a few small jobs that we said we’d sort out after we’d moved in, such as installing blinds behind the study nook and a custom made corkboard above the kids’ desks Three years later, I’m just getting around to a few of them, and some aren’t even started. They ’re simple things that are worth doing but , unfortunately, life got in the way ”
“ We wa nt e d a hou se that worke d for ou r fa m i ly w ith the sa me fo ot pr i nt . That ’ s what we g ot , plu s some b e aut i f u l a rch it e c t u r a l fe at u re s a nd a more c ohe sive i nt er ior de sig n ”
LO U I S E N E W M A N , H O M EOW N E R
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L E S S O N S L E A R N T
“Fi n ish a s much a s you c a n du r i ng the bu i ld ”
LO U I S E N E W M A N , H O M EOW N E R
At the back of this Melbourne home is a surprise element that proves dif ferent eras can live as one and of fer the best of both
F R O N T (lef t ) Th e gran d original f a c a de only tells half of th e de sign s tor y within E X TE R I O R (b elow) A n ew timb er ex tension with a pic ture window was graf te d onto the brick s truc ture “ It was ver y imp or t ant to fram e th e n or th f a cin g garden s view an d b rin g it b a ck inside s ays interior de sign er Aman da Mar tin We ch os e ro ugh s awn b la ckb ut t cladding finished with a black wood oil by Wo c a to b e in tun e with th e natural materials inside ” Th e b rick wall is p ainte d Ja guar by Por ter ’ s Paint s Ligne Roset Grillage outdo or chair D omo
Who lives here Olivia and Rick, with their two adult daughters, Lily and Isla, and two cats ragdoll Coco and Bengal Mia
Style of home A double fronted Victorian house with a contemporar y box added at the rear by Bluline Projects
Location Elwood in Melbourne land of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people Building work began in July 2021 and was complete by Februar y 2022
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The black metal door in the hallway is the threshold between the old and new sections Rather than blending ever ything, we defined the transition”
H A L L (lef t ) Th e g en ero us width of th e corridor c alle d for s t atem ent light s
Ge orge N els on Apple B ubble p en dant s from Livin g Edg e were th e natural ch oice M e s smate f lo orin g Timb er & Ros e Ar t work s by Gre g
O lijnyk S T U DY (b elow lef t ) Join er y de sign e d by Stu dio Mar tin an d cre ate d by Fenn Interiors fe ature s
Am eric an o ak ven e er by Vente ch D e sk , D ulux Natural White Ar t work by David B an d S culpture s by Gre g
O lijnyk K I TC H E N (b elow right an d op p osite) L amin ex join er y in D ulux Natural White an d Abs olute Mat te B la ck ke eps th e lo ok crisp B en chtop L aminam C alce XL in B ian co from Sign orin o Sink an d mixer, Franke Tab uret s to ols , Life Interiors Lign e Ros et ve s s els , D om o Throw, Tekla
AMAN DA MARTI N , I NTER IO R D E S I G N ERThis house has reclaimed Messmate timber flooring and 5 star WELS rated Meir tapware Double glazed windows, doors and skylights maximise north facing sun heat retention and soundproofing Electric roller blinds make life easier
When a home is all heritage through and through, the way forward with a renovation is usually clear because it’s always nice to preser ve old bones and beautiful features where possible But what about a home that is her itage up front but non or ig inal and lacklustre at the rear? How is a home like that best reimag ined to honour its past and fully embrace its future?
This was the challenge f acing sister duo Lauren and Amanda Mar tin from Studio Mar tin An architect and inter ior designer respectively, they were contacted by a couple with two daughter s who were almost ready to fly the coop The f amily’s home in Melbour ne ’ s Elwood was a double fronted Victor ian char mer with her itage features aplenty in its hall, music room, librar y and all three bedrooms However the back section of the residence was a different stor y altogether The kitchen, dining, living, laundr y and bathroom all lacked flow, light and general amenity What’s more, there was no meaningful link to the garden
“The clients wanted to retain the Victor ian her itage architecture of the home and update the non or ig inal rear section,” says Lauren “All this was to be a modest solution ” “They wanted the new area to have an open plan kitchen, dining, living and study zone that opens onto the backyard With the or ig inal back area, the garden wasn’t utilised at all ”
Often, when there’s a pre existing incong r uity between eras within a home, the new extension is tailored to ‘meet’ the old one and blur the design boundar ies as much as possible It’s a pur suit of seamlessness or at least the illusion of it However, Lauren and Amanda didn’t go down this standard path. Instead, they thought outside the box And this led them, ironically, to focus on deliver ing a box str uctured addition
“Our solution was to remove the existing lean to and replace it with a new black timber box with large sliding door s, abutting the or ig inal br ick f acade,” says Lauren “The kitchen, living, dining and study were replanned and a little more floor space was gained, but the main focus was on deliver ing a higher ceiling and larger windows looking onto the backyard ”
It took nine months to finalise the design, and then it was go time, with the renovation being executed from mid 2021 until early 2022 by Bluline Projects The Victor ian zone at the front remained intact and f aithfully preser ved; a coat of paint and new pendant lights in the hall were really all that was required to refresh the area Then, fur ther down the hall, a black metal framed glass door was installed “This is the threshold between the old and new sections of the home,” says Amanda “It provides a distinct move into the new contemporar y section at the rear From the front door, you ’ re able to see through the
house to the g reen garden beyond Rather than blending ever ything, we defined the transition ”
Gone is the dated, dark and impractical lean to, replaced with the sleek box for m Amanda and Lauren dramatically reinvented the entire space, increasing the space, light, flow and functionality With full height joiner y and finger pull handles concealing appliances, the mostly white kitchen (with touches of oak and black) is minimalistic, however Amanda says it also ‘bor rows ’ g reener y from the garden Both the bench seat near the kitchen and the separate study area enjoy abundant sunlight and, of cour se, those garden views All the new joiner y was designed by Studio Mar tin and created by Fenn Inter ior s
The bathroom renovation, which was a last minute addition to the prog ram, focused on keeping the existing footpr int,
implementing clean lines and maximising light “We chose concrete look tiles, black fittings and a full width glass skylight over the shower zone, which connects to the forever chang ing sky and floods the space with ample light,” says Lauren
For owner s Olivia and Rick, this old meets new design approach is a perfect match “We love it,” says Olivia “We have much more space and storage Our main areas are linked to the garden, and it’s so light and br ight We love the connection to the back garden, and walking from the old her itage section with its quirks into the moder n extension is a dream ”
In this home, there’s beauty in a duality that’s both innovative and simple There’s the old par t and the new; the nostalg ic and the contemporar y, and it all works har moniously Studio Mar tin is at studiomar tin com au and @studiomar tin
R E A R Th e sp lash of re d in th e chairs draws on th e n eighb o ur s b e autiful original re d b rick wall , s ays Aman da B lue s ton e tile s h old th eir own in th e oth er wis e b old p alet te D ios curi 2 5 ex terior light Ar temide M A I N B E D R O O M (op p osite lef t ) Th e p arent s zon e has a win dow lo okin g onto cre epin g vin e s C abin et antique walnut White lin en , B e d Thre a ds Wall s culpture by Gre g O lijnyk B AT H R O O M (op p osite right ) Th o ugh small an d narrow this minimalis t sp a ce n ow has a s ens e of luxur y B en chtop C arrara marb le from Gladstones Granite Grey lim e s ton e tile s , C erdomus Ro c a b asin , Re e ce Tapware , M eir Lin wall light , Inlite Towel , Lo om Towels
“Once the project was underway the clients added scope to redo the bathroom There was limited time to design and specify fittings and materials, and they all had to be in stock!” In such moments creativity pragamatism and quick thinking are absolutely vital
ituated in Wandswor th Common, just south of the Thames, is a four level house with a glamorous side hustle While it’s mostly a residence for Australian expat Sommer Pyne and her f amily, the Victor ian splendour meets contemporar y sleek home is often hired out for shoots and workshops, the latter r un by Sommer in collaboration with local ar tisans and lifestyle brands But at Chr istmas, the f air y lights come out and the Pynes decorate any and ever y way they want
Sommer moved to England with her husband Will when she was 27 and had many year s working in adver tising before home makeover TV shows inspired a major life change She and Will began renovating proper ties and clocked up eight before they found this home They were drawn to its per iod details and potential for the kind of laid back, air y living Sommer g rew up with in Sydney She wanted some rooms to be light and other s to be dark and moody, a quirky blend of Scandinavian naturalness with Br itish tradition across the six bedrooms and var ious living spaces plus an antipodean style garden off the g round floor kitchen Another idea being toyed with was opening up the home to events for the ‘ cur ious minded’ so Sommer could indulge her passions for food, inter ior s and design Thus the concept of House Cur ious was bor n
ADE Architecture helped Sommer to widen the existing extension at the back and dig down to make a huge light filled basement level On the floor s above, the or ig inal staircase was
replaced with a concrete and timber ver sion and similarly tweaked fireplaces, complemented with a plethora of new f amily fr iendly mater ials Sommer has cleverly merged moder n industr ial style (evinced in the polished concrete floor s) with a sense of opulence shown in key pieces such as var ious metallic lights and mir ror s and the sitting room ’ s teal velvet couch Aside from blues and soft g reys, most of the colour comes from wood and white tones, supplemented by patter ned tiles and stone In the darker spaces, however, Sommer wasn’t afraid to go bold and paint the ceilings dark as well as the walls, resulting in an enveloping feel that’s in stark contrast with the lighter adjacent spaces. Handmade elements also play an impor tant role in her inter ior s, with textured wool r ugs and var ious ar t pieces appear ing throughout
The g reen of the garden flows into the home through plants and festive foliage Sommer br ings in at Chr istmas. She and daughter s Lyla Rose and Indy work on crafts in the dining space under the massive new skylight, where practical workshops in ever ything from photog raphy to home styling and cooking have been held Upstair s, in the main bedroom and beyond, the aesthetic is pale floor s, natural r ugs and soft pink bedding along with ‘popping’ ar tworks Sommer’s open plan ensuite is down a few steps from her bed and deliver s a luxe hotel like exper ience
Most of the basement floor is used as an enter tainment space Sommer and Will excavated and extended their small cellar sufficiently to create high ceilings and have light pour ing in from the g round floor where required (not in the home cinema!) Now they have a subter ranean cocktail bar that is perfect for par ties
These days, Sommer spends a lot of her time in the dig ital space, creating content for websites such as SheerLuxe But she’d like to own a shop that is open to ever yone someday, filled with f abulous fur niture and quirky props, where people can enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of coffee perhaps somewhere a little like House Cur ious But in the meantime, Sommer is busy raising her daughter s in the f amily’s stylish digs “Will and I used to dream of living in a g rand house one day,” she says, “like something you’d see in a magazine And here it is!”
Discover more at housecur ious co uk and @housecur ious
Entr y to the home is via a grand hall (top right ) with eye c atching flo or tiles Marking the threshold to the family ro om is parquet flo oring and a s et of m et al do ors from a sp e cialis t f irm c alle d Clem ent Win dows In th e b as em ent b ar are a (top lef t ) han gin g p lant s de corate on e wall all ye ar ro un d S omm er s ays h er f avo urite sp a ce is th e kitch en (op p osite) by Matrix D e sign It s a mix of wo o d s ton e con crete an d m et al , with in dus trial s t yle p en dant light s by B us ter + Pun ch
S omm er s f irs t f lo or s an c tuar y (this p a g e an d op p osite) en comp as s e s a b e dro om , n ex t level b athro om an d hug e dre s sin g ro om H er lin en b e d din g is pile d with wo ol cushions for ex tra s of tn e s s , an d th e wall fe ature s a Sk y Circle s p h oto grap h by Hannah Lemh olt Subtle f air y light s are run alon g th e top of th e b e dh e a d at Chris tmas tim e Th e oval b ath is by C as tello an d th e marb le b asin is a de sign by Karena Clay ton from C olo ur Interiors N ot to b e o utdon e th e gro un d f lo or p owder ro om (b elow right ) is gorg e o us in it s own way with a Kas t con crete b asin , cop p er t aps an d tile d f lo or mat referen cin g it s p urp os e Vint a g e wall light s (f lankin g th e mirror), In dus t ville
Grafting a new section onto this Edwardian home was a done deal for owner s Tom and Georg ie Birch, whose business relationship with architect Justin Nor throp meant that a g reat result was assured The addition was to provide the mod cons the f amily needed and more natural light to the or ig inal par t of the house while being architecturally interesting Turn the page for more details
WORDS DEBORAH GRANT PHOTOGRAPHY EMILY BARTLETT
Who lives here Tom Birch co director of hospitality group Sand Hill Road; his wife Georgie, a freelance publicist; and their sons: Edward five and Rafael two Style of home A four bedroom red brick Edwardian villa Location Hawthorn in Victoria traditional land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation
The couple bought the house in 2013 After months of planning, they started renovating in April 2017 and moved back into their finished home in October 2018
s one of the founders of hospitality g roup Sand Hill Road, Tom Birch’s working life revolves around restor ing r undown her itage pubs and tur ning them into some of Melbour ne ’ s most loved venues So, it wasn’t at all sur pr ising that an older home with the potential to be transfor med into something more moder n while still celebrating its past was top of mind in 2013 when he was house hunting with wife Georg ie
They found what they were looking for in a classic red br ick Edwardian villa set on a roomy 878 square metre block in Melbour ne ’ s leafy easter n suburbs With its decorative cor nices, high ceilings and leadlight windows, it wouldn’t have looked out of place in a per iod drama At that time, Tom and Georg ie were living in a tiny worker’s cottage in inner city Richmond, so the four bedroom house’s size and obvious char m as well as the block’s invaluable rear access cer tainly outweighed its location on a f airly busy road
“We looked at quite a few places and were cer tainly not expecting to f all in love with it when we came to view this house,” says Tom “But when we walked in and saw beyond the dodgy 1970s add ons at the back, we realised that the bones were incredible and it had the potential to be tur ned into something pretty amazing ”
For tunately for them, the couple bought the house at the r ight pr ice so they had adequate funds for the renovation “I think a lot of people would have baulked at the amount of work that needed to be done,” says Tom “But my exper ience at Sand Hill Road meant that I could see how we could transfor m the house to suit our needs while also adding value ”
After an initial makeover to make it liveable (“We did the usual things: str ipped the old wallpaper and painted the walls white, got r id of the dodgy car pet and replaced some lights,” recalls Georg ie), the couple moved in while they considered plans for a bigger renovation Although they wanted to celebrate and restore the house’s per iod features such as pressed metal ceilings and or ig inal fireplaces tackling the home’s collection of dark, separate rooms and adding a light filled, open plan living space was key And, perhaps not sur pr isingly for someone who works in the hospitality business, creating a place to comfor tably enter tain f amily and fr iends was also impor tant
“While we needed to create a home for our future f amily [which now includes two sons, aged five and two], enter taining is a big par t of our life, so we wanted to build a home that other s could enjoy as well,” Tom explains “Georg ie is a keen cook, so things like a kitchen with a big island bench and a walk in pantr y plus a bar area were top pr ior ities ”
“ We originally planned to put in an extra ensuite but took it out of the plans to save some money when the budget came in We did put the plumbing in but installing an ensuite now will cost a lot more than it would have done if we d included it in the original build So if you really want something tr y and find a way to get it done up front , because otherwise it ll cost you more in the long run ”
More than 50 per cent of the house was renovated, so it had to be brought up to modern standards This was done with solar and in slab heating double glazing and insulation
The house wraps around a single Japanese maple tree, which delineates the junc ture of the old and new sec tions
”
When it came to choosing an architect, there was only one name on the board: Justin Nor throp of Technē Architecture + Inter ior Design, who’s worked with Sand Hill Road for nearly 20 year s “We’ve done some amazing work together and there’s a shor thand now, where we know that projects will come together quickly and efficiently and we’ll be really happy with the outcome,” says Tom “We knew we could tr ust our home to Justin and his team because we love their work It was a natural fit ”
Restor ing and celebrating the per iod features at the front of the house was another no brainer and a main bedroom with ensuite plus three additional bedrooms, a bathroom and a powder room now sit behind the house’s elegant f acade The poky add ons at the rear were demolished to make way for an L shaped extension with a soar ing pitched ceiling to complement the or ig inal roof for ms at the front A nor th f acing cour tyard connects the old and new as well as flooding the inter ior with nor ther n light “It’s common in renovations of this nature to have a clear step between the per iod par t of the house and the new extension,” explains Justin “And in this house, that threshold is clearly defined by the cour tyard ”
The new kitchen/living/dining area is anchored by a stunning kitchen and adjoining bar area in r ich Amer ican walnut veneer It’s paired with a four and a half metre island bench topped with honed Elba marble “I know it’s almost a cliché now, but the kitchen is the classic hear t of our home that ever yone cong regates in,” says Tom
Thanks to the monochromatic black and white palette it’s set against, the kitchen is a stand out, future proof design “We thought of it like a hotel room in that it’s quite minimalist, and we didn’t want to put in too many elements that would date Instead, you can reflect whatever design style you want with the fur niture, cur tains and ar tworks, which are easily updated as your tastes change ”
After almost three year s of planning (“We were in no g reat r ush, although finding out that Edward was on the way did escalate things a little,” Tom shares), the build finally star ted in 2018
While the or ig inal house was in f airly good condition for its age, the builder s did have to replace floor joists that were almost sitting in the dir t, and reinforce a chimney that was seemingly being held up by fresh air “That’s pretty standard for this kind of house,” explains Justin
The build was also delayed by having to wait for ther mally broken double glazed windows for the rear of the new extension to ar r ive from Italy But it was wor th the wait,
according to Tom “Our br ief was to have a broad and open interf ace with the outdoor s, which called for large for mat glazing on the windows and door s, ” he says “As well as providing an incredible aspect, it also had the potential to be ther mally inefficient and costly Using ther mally broken double glazed windows has rewarded us with the space we wanted in a highly efficient manner, in summer and winter ”
As the house neared completion, the pool was installed and the garden landscaped “Neither of us are into gardening or have g reen thumbs,” confesses Tom, “but we love looking out onto the front and back garden areas They’re so stunning, and watching the g rowth of the plants and flower s over the past few year s has been ver y g ratifying,”
Tom and Georg ie are really happy with the result, especially the exper t mix of old and new “I love that it’s a her itage home with moder n features,” Tom says “Building or renovating a proper ty is stressful there’s no doubt about that but definitely wor th it One of the joys of doing something like this is looking around and knowing that we created this home together Would I do it again? Yes, in a hear tbeat ”
And, in f act, that’s exactly what’s going to happen, because after more than a few happy year s in their renovated home, the f amily recently sold The reason: a new and exciting house renovation project for them in nearby Kew Tec hnē Arc hitecture + Inter ior Design is at tec hne com au and @tec hnearc hitects Lar r itt Evans studio is at lar r itt evans com
T h e o riginal p re s s e d m et al ceilin g is gra ce d with an Ant a N ola’ p en dant light from Hub Furniture B e d an d chair als o Hub Gubi B e etle s of a Criteria Ar t work by J e s sie Rigby+ Walk in pantr y “Cooking is my number one hobby and I have a huge amount of cookbooks, so it s nice to have somewhere to store them ” says Georgie “ The pantr y is also a place where I can hide a lot of mess And when we have people over, it’s a good spot to do all my prep work If we have a lot of kids in the house, I can go into the pantr y and shut the door, which drowns out a lot of noise!”
+ Swimming pool “It’s so handy for entertaining in summer, Georgie says While the adults sit around on the patio and have a barbecue the kids are in the water for hours ”
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Michael Drescher, inter ior design director at DKO, is passionate about creating beautiful kitchens using the best appliances His brand of choice is ASKO
What is a Future Kitchen? At DKO, we work on myr iad projects, including pr ivate homes, apar tments, townhouses and premium penthouse residences For me, the ‘future kitchen’ is leading us towards smar t appliances where integ rated apps and technolog ies are optimising how we cook and eat, saving time and br ing ing convenience into the kitchen in new ways Has the mood around kitchens changed? I believe so, yes I hate to mention the pandemic, but for many the home was a sanctuar y dur ing lockdowns and kitchens became the focal point as they assumed roles that var ied between all day restaurants, homework stations and casual Zoom backg rounds Per sonally, I found I was exper imenting more in the kitchen as I had more time on my hands This is where the smar t technology came in handy It provides assurance as the appliances can provide advice and guidance I was attempting more complex recipes, with my kitchen becoming a more approachable environment Does ever y thing in a kitchen need to be high-tech? Not at all
The kitchen has to be at the forefront of functionality it’s the space that br ings the household together and is usually the centrepiece of the design It has to be a space that makes people comfor table to gather, cook, work and eat in At the beg inning
of a kitchen renovation, I really dr ill down as to how the occupant will use their kitchen, which then infor ms our design We select elements and products based on that research and how the elements sit within the space By researching well lasting finishes and fixtures, we can ensure the kitchen space looks good and functions well, not just on day one, but for year s to come Let ’s talk about ovens with multiple cooking options The r ising costs of living are impossible to ignore Reducing food waste is thus a key concer n for many This is where advances in kitchen technology allow us to optimise storage environments and reduce wastage through precision cooking and por tion control, and guidance on how to cook food to gain the most nutr ients Do residential kitchens borrow from commercial kitchen designs? Yes, cer tainly The things we love about the dining out exper ience are filter ing into residential kitchen design For example, the theatre of presenting a bottle of wine to guests When you ’ re at a restaurant, the wine is typically on display In residential design, we ’ ve seen a big uptick in wine climate cabinets that are visible to guests in a similar manner, albeit on a smaller scale
SCAN THE QR CODE TO SEE THE VIDEO OF EDITOR ELIZA O’HARE TALKING FUTURE KITCHENS WITH MICHAEL DRESCHER DETAILS OF ASKO PRODUCTS AT AU ASKO COM
Accessed from the var ious living spaces that sur round it, this g reen, multi pur pose space is well loved by the owner s A mixture of native and exotic plant species increase its biodiver sity, while reclaimed br icks have found a new home in the paving and seating Cunjevoi, blue flax lily and dwarf cardamom combine to put on a verdant show all year round. Turn the page for more details.
PHOTOGRAPHY CHRISTOPHER FREDERICK JONES
The a ma lg a mation of t wo Sydney semis prov ided t w ice the outdoor space for a n u rba n oa sis
WORDS STEPHANIE HOPE PHOTOGRAPHY CHRISTOPHER FREDERICK JONES
hen the owners of a semi detached home in inner Sydney began to outg row their abode, the solution was sur pr isingly simple They acquired the adjoining proper ty and voilà double the space!
Architects Welsh + Major designed the second semi to almost mir ror the fir st, a genius exercise in repeated for ms and scale, with scope to divide the dwelling down the track if the f amily decide to downsize
The outdoor spaces were g iven a similar treatment, designed with future flexibility in mind Unifying the new and old str uctures is a central cour tyard framed by the rear wings of the two or ig inal homes Glass walls and slide away door s allow for that continuous indoor outdoor exper ience “The owner s wanted to feel sur rounded by garden and have it reflect their non urban upbr ing ing,” says landscape architect Emily Simpson, who designed a ser ies of multipur pose outdoor spaces where the owner s and their three children (plus five pets) can relax and unwind together or apar t
Hard mater ials were selected in keeping with the architecture, and existing br icks and sandstone blocks from the or ig inal foundations reused in multiple ways The sandstone ser ves as resting seats in the fer n filled side cour tyard as well as stepping
stones that wind a meander ing path through the garden, while the recycled br icks for m the retaining walls, benches and paving, with glazed br icks in shades selected by the owner s ’ children adding a splash of colour
Each of the garden zones speaks to the senses in different ways. Star ting from the front, Mur raya paniculata hedges screen the home from the street, with stepping stones sur rounded by g roundcover s of kidney weed (Dic hondra repens) and native violet (Viola hederacea) for ming a soft pathway to the front door
Under storey plantings of butcher’s broom (Ruscus hypoglossum), native silver plectranthus (Plectranthus argentatus), blue g inger (Dic hor isandra thyrsiflora) and dwarf cardamom (Alpinia nutans) work well with the her itage f acade and existing frang ipani
Out back, the aforementioned central cour tyard acts as a place of gather ing while also allowing the f amily to break off in different directions “It can be a seamless extension of the living spaces around it, a screening device between separate activities or its own calm oasis,” Emily explains. Just off the kitchen/dining area, the sunken ter race with reclaimed br ick seating is a place for casual meals and working on sunny days
Alongside another frang ipani, Emily introduced a g rove of sculptural leopard trees (Caesalpinia fer rea), which are offset by lush under plantings of native cunjevoi (Alocasia br isbanensis), f alse cardamom (Alpinia nutans), blue flax lily (Dianella caerulea
‘Lucia’), Mexican lily (Besc hor ner ia yuccoides) and a few g iant bromeliads (Alcantarea imper ialis)
The cour tyard opens out to a generous lawn area “ an active space in the garden for the kids to play cr icket and basketball, and a place for pets to r un around,” Emily shares Here, small leaf lilly pillies, mur rayas, flower ing gums (Cor ymbia ficifolia ‘Summer Beauty’) and Illawar ra flame trees (Brac hyc hiton acer ifolius) screen the rear boundar y and provide an umbrella of seasonal shade while also attracting beneficial birds and bees
There are side cour tyards for raised veg ie gardens, a wor m f ar m, rainwater tank, compost bin and native beehive, all of which fulfil the f amily’s passion for self sufficiency Mixed fer ns tree fer ns, bracken, g r istle fer n and pr ickly rasp fer n and native r iver roses (Bauera rubioides) thr ive in the semi shaded plot Upstair s, a rooftop garden is planted with native species pigf ace (Car pobrotus glaucescens) and knobby club r ush (Ficinia nodosa), helping to soften the new garage addition when viewed from the front garden, upstair s bedroom and side cour tyard
“This is a garden for the entire f amily to enjoy,” says Emily “It’s full of frag rance and mixed microclimates, which create multiple sensor y exper iences At any time dur ing the year, there’s always something flower ing here ”
The owner s ag ree: “Although it is a young garden, it has quickly transfor med into an established landscape with layer s, textures and contrast We spend more time at home enter taining and relaxing than ever before, and gardening now feels like a sheer joy rather than a burden ” Emily Simpson is at emilysimpsonlandscape com au and @eslandarc h Garden construction by Fifth Season Landscapes at 5thseason com au
The owner s of this home in Br ighton, Victor ia, requested a Thai inspired garden from Ecker sley Garden Architecture to remind them of their time spent living in Phuket Architects Pleysier Perkins then took things a step fur ther by creating an outdoor enter taining area that allows the couple to enjoy the exotic display in all weather conditions They can sit at the Ossa concrete table and bench seat from GlobeWest, or in one of the brand’s Lyon ar mchair s and admire the garden, protected from the elements by a sweeping concrete canopy For easy food prep and clean up, there’s a sink and barbecue built into the bench that r uns the length of the Peter sen Tegl ‘Kolumba’ br ick wall
The time for enter ta ining is upon us, a nd a n outdoor k itchen is ideal for ma x imising the extra hours of daylight. Ta ke inspiration f rom these st ylish set ups
This Per th proper ty’s covered patio area by Arcolog ic has all that’s required for a successful soirée Inter ior designer Lara Staunton of Lahaus selected hardy g rey stone tiles and a concrete benchtop with Brodware sink to tie in with the owner s ’ desired South Afr ican inspired aesthetic, which f avour s raw finishes and luxe minimalism But of cour se, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the star s of the space: twin Vintec dr inks fr idges from Har vey Nor man, which keep refreshments nearby For a couple who do a lot of enter taining, it’s the perfect social space
One for the foodies, this alfresco eating area on the Gold Coast by Davey Constr uctions and Stuar t Osman Building Designs has all the ing redients of a top notch outdoor kitchen A br ick pizza oven by Pizza Ovens R Us, a BeefEater barbecue and pizza accessor ies from Slow Food & Handforged Tools are in regular use by the lucky f amily who live here, while the blackbutt timber decking is easy to sweep clean between meals Best of all, this outdoor room is ideally located, with the indoor kitchen and living space to one side and a swimming pool on the other, achieving that all impor tant indoor outdoor connection
Not all outdoor kitchens need walls, as shown by Talm Beach House in the NSW coastal town of Anna Bay In f act, this alfresco dining space is all the better for it A high pitched roof still offer s cover in inclement weather, but otherwise it’s open on three sides to allow a better view of the sprawling lawns and ocean beyond, with the salty sea air free to per meate the senses The finishes and fur nishings are suitably tolerant of the coastal conditions, with a stainless steel Weber barbecue and hardy timber setting from Early Settler cleverly selected to last
With its resor t style gardens and effor tless links to indoor living, this exter nal kitchen in Sydney’s easter n suburbs conjures up endless holiday vibes for the f amily of five who live here A joint effor t between Sticks And Stones Landscape Design and architect Michael Cumming, the area enjoys a sense of pr ivacy and containment created by timber batten screens painted white and mounted hor izontally to accentuate width The sculptural Five Minuti pizza oven from Alf a For ni and the BeefEater Signature ProLine barbecue from Har vey Nor man add to its indoor outdoor credentials, while the rosewood bench melds seamlessly with the decking that flows directly to the pool
This comfy spot by Graeme Bell of Trace Architects is par t kitchen, par t living space, boasting the convenience of a barbecue, a pizza oven and an outdoor fireplace With three teens living in the Sydney home, the social aspect was especially impor tant, so the fur niture pieces a Smithmade sof a, a butterfly chair from 506070, and Otley side tables from Galler y Direct were chosen to tick that box Just out of shot is an eight seater dining setting, and an outdoor bar is located on the other side of the br ick wall So, g iven this space has ever ything including a kitchen sink, one could quite happily live out here
For those who want to cook outside more often but are stymied by lack of space or imag ination, this could be the perfect solution Tait, an Australian company specialising in all manner of contemporar y cour tyard fur niture and accoutrements, has created the Tilt Outdoor BBQ Kitchen Unit, an all in one ‘box’ that even has capacity for a sink At just under two metres wide, it’s compact, multi functional and able to be shut up securely and attractively after the par ty is over The most basic model includes a premium stainless steel barbecue and bench, plus there’s an optional awning and a wide range of powdercoated colour choices, making it a designer’s dream
Outdoor rooms really ear n their keep when they work in winter too Such is the case at the Sydney home of inter ior designer Kellie Margetson, who designed this str ucture in conjunction with architect Ben Giles Visually connected to the main house and only steps from a swimming pool, its luxe offer ings include an alfresco kitchen, a TV for watching spor ts, a f an for air circulation and radiant heater s to keep things cosy in winter Inside the Weather tex ‘Weatherg roove Smooth’ panelled shell (painted Dulux Black Caviar) is a mix of natural timber battens and traver tine paver s from Eco Outdoor Kellie finished the look with pr imo outdoor fur niture from Rober t Plumb
Tre at you r sel f t o f r u it a nd fi zz c o ck t a i ls w ith ch ic savou r y bit e s on the side
S E RV E S 6 8
¼ cup caster sugar
¼ cup water
¾ cup lemon juice
½ cup dr y white vermouth
½ cup gin (or vodka)
3 cups chilled soda water Ice, to ser ve
Long rosemar y sprigs, green olives and dried orange slices, to garnish
1 Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar Set aside to cool Pour into a 1 litre jug with ice cubes then add the lemon juice vermouth gin (or vodka) and mix to combine Add ice and soda
2 Serve with long rosemary sprigs, olives and orange slices to garnish
S E RV E S 6 8
½ cup caster sugar
¼ cup yuzu (Japanese citrus) juice
¼ cup lime juice
4 Lebanese cucumbers
½ cup Japanese plum wine
½ cup gin
3 cups (750ml) chilled soda water Crushed ice, to ser ve
1 Place the sugar, yuzu and lime juice in a blender Roughly chop 2 cucumbers and add to the blender Blend until smooth Strain through a fine meshed sieve and pour into a 1 5 litre jug Thinly slice remaining cucumbers and set aside
2 Add the plum wine and gin to the jug and mix to combine Add soda and ser ve with cucumber and crushed ice
S E RV E S 6 8
1 tbsp loose leaf jasmine tea
2 tbsp loose leaf peach tea
½ cup caster sugar
1 cup boiling water
½ cup peach schnapps
750ml bottle chilled prosecco Crushed ice, to ser ve
2 firm yellow peaches, thinly sliced Dried jasmine flowers, to ser ve
1 Combine teas and sugar in heat proof jug, pour over boiling water and set aside to brew for 15 minutes stirring to dissolve the sugar Strain through a fine meshed sieve into a 1 5 litre jug and cool
2 To ser ve, add peach schnapps, prosecco and crushed ice and stir to combine Ser ve with peach slices and jasmine flowers
T I P You can find dried jasmine flowers at Asian supermarkets
S E RV E S 6 8
500g chopped watermelon
¼ cup elder flower cordial
½ tsp pink peppercorns
½ cup lemon juice
2 cups chilled soda water
1 cup sparkling blood orange juice
Watermelon balls, to ser ve Ice, to ser ve
1 cup bramble gin
Edible dried flowers, to ser ve
1 Place the watermelon, cordial and pink peppercorns in a blender and blend until smooth Strain through a fine meshed sieve into a 1 5 litre jug add lemon juice and refrigerate
2 To ser ve add ice cubes Top with soda and blood orange juice melon balls and ice Pour over the gin and sprinkle with flowers
T I P You can find edible dried flowers at most liquor stores and specialty food stores
O PP O S ITE M o on re sin ch e e s e p lat ter (as in gre dient b as e) $ 1 8 0 an d Flow s oy dish (with furikake) $ 4 5 D in os aur D e signs Tab p late in White (b a con) $ 3 1 Zakkia White marb le co as ter (s alm on ro e) $ 3 4 for fo ur Pot ter y B arn Ro un d s er vin g b owl (let tuce) $ 13 9 9 5 an d t ap as p late (e s chalot s) $ 4 4 9 5 B atch # Mayonnais e an d p om e granate dish e s s t ylis t s own B rush e d gold sp o ons $ 149 for eight pie ce cutler y s et , Krof Glas s e s an d oth er p late s as b efore
S E RV E S 6 8
250g spreadable cream cheese, softened
350g Greek style yoghurt
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp dried porcini powder
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp each flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper
2 tbsp finely chopped pistachios
1 tbsp crispy fried eschalots, crushed
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
Crusty bread, to ser ve
1 Combine the cream cheese, yoghurt , onion powder, porcini, honey and salt and pepper in a medium bowl and mix to combine
2 Line a medium bowl with a double layer of fine muslin (or a clean tea towel) Spoon the yoghurt mixture into the bowl gather the edges to enclose and secure with string Place into a colander and place over a deep bowl (making sure the colander doesn’t touch the bottom of the container) Place in the fridge for at least 12 hours to strain or until the cheese is firm
3 To ser ve, remove the muslin and place on a ser ving platter Mix pistachio and eschalots together and sprinkle over the cheese
Top with spring onion and drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice Ser ve with crusty bread
T I P This dip can be made a few days in advance Keep it in the muslin until ready to ser ve
S E RV E S 6 8
1 small clove garlic , crushed
1 tsp finely grated orange rind
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to brush
16 large green tiger prawns, peeled tails intact
16 thin slices flat pancetta (or thin streaky bacon)
½ cup whole egg mayonnaise
¼ cup store bought piccalilli
½ orange
1 Mix the garlic , orange rind and 1 tbsp oil together, then season with salt and pepper Add the prawns and toss to coat Wrap each prawn in pancetta (or streaky bacon) and thread onto 16 skewers
2 Preheat the oven grill to high heat Place prawns on a large lightly oiled tray and place under grill Cook for 6 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden
3 Meanwhile combine mayonnaise and piccalilli in a small food processor and blend until smooth
4 To ser ve, squeeze over orange juice and remaining oil and ser ve with mayonnaise
T I P Soak your skewers in warm water for 1 hour before using to make sure they don t char, or wrap the exposed wood in foil
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S E RV E S 6 8
8 thick slices brioche bread
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
⅓ cup store bought olive tapenade
8 fresh sardines, filleted and butter flied (ask your fish monger to do this for you)
6 store bought pickled onions, thinly sliced
¼ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp sherr y vinegar
Cher vil sprigs, to ser ve
1 Preheat oven grill to high Slice the brioche into 4cm x 12cm slices Lightly brush one side with 1 tbsp oil, place on a large baking tray and then under the grill Cook for 1 minute or until lightly toasted
2 Turn slices over Spread with olive tapenade Cut each sardine in half and lay one half on each slice of bread Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil, season with salt and pepper and place under the grill Cook for 2 3 minutes or until sardines are just cooked through
3 Top with pickled onion and sprinkle with paprika and chilli Mix honey, sherr y vinegar and remaining oil together and drizzle over Ser ve topped with the cher vil
This salad is a DIY mix and match . You pick up each lettuce leaf with your hands and pile other ingredients onto it
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 slices streaky bacon
1 baby cos lettuce, washed, quartered
1 witlof, washed, leaves separated
1 Treviso radicchio, washed, leaves separated
2 tbsp furikake (Japanese seasoning), to ser ve
50g salmon roe
1 pomegranate, arils separate
1 eschalot , finely chopped
R A N C H D R E S S I N G
¼ cup whole egg mayonnaise
250g sour cream
50g soft blue cheese
¼ cup lemon juice
1 To make the dressing combine mayonnaise sour cream blue cheese and lemon juice together and blend until smooth Place in a small bowl and set aside
2 Heat oil in a small non stick fr ying pan over medium high heat Add the bacon and cook for 6 minutes on each side or until crisp Set aside to cool
3 To ser ve, arrange lettuces on a platter with ice Ser ve with ranch dip, bacon, furikake, salmon roe, pomegranate and eschalot
I have hay fever and dust allerg ies, plus I live in an old ter race house that has had considerable mould issues this year In addition, the backyard has lots of trees that produce pollen, which often blows into the house and my room Cue this Electrolux air pur ifier, a sleek design with air filtration points at the top and bottom of the unit Touch controls make it easy to adjust the f an speed and circulate the air through the spiral outlets, but this model also has laser sensor s that can evaluate the air quality and automatically adjust the f an speed for you, g iving you cleaner indoor air without any effor t on your par t After using the air pur ifier for a few days, there was a reduction in the damp/musty smell my room sometimes has, and some improvement in my allerg ies as I woke up with a clearer head and sinuses It also reduced the smell of cooking odour s and that new paint smell (we’re renovating), which was dr ifting through the house The machine’s noise level cer tainly wasn’t an issue even on day mode it seemed to f ade into the backg round
YO U ’ LL LOVE The light g rey colour and rounded for m means it fits into any room without drawing attention to itself
YO U S H O U L D K N O W When used in sleep mode, the sound is barely noticeable so it shouldn’t inter rupt your snooze time at all
P R I C E P O I N T Expect to pay $599; electrolux com au
This model has a four step filtration system that captures micro dust , odours and harmful airborne substances Its integrated HEPA 13 filter removes up to 99 99% of bacteria in spaces of up to 53 square metres
T R I E D B Y S t y l e E d i t o r K a t e L i n c o l n
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It’s our last issue for the year and all we can think about is spending the summer with our f amilies and fr iends in lovely outdoor settings Of cour se, those range from lavish alfresco set ups like our Yaroomba house (pictured) to chic urban cour tyards and g reen fr inged balconies. Fascinatingly, the best of them all have one thing in common: finishing touches which make the space feel special. That means you can tur n just about any outdoor area into a hot ticket Have fun!
